Electrical splicer



May 17, 1949. w. H. ALFORD ELECTRICAL SPLICER Filed Dec. 29, 1945NVENTOR. WML/AM H mrow E S Q @N D E Patented May 17, 1949 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL SPLICER William H. Alford, Winston-Salem, N. C.

Application December 29, 1945, Serial No. 637,931

2 Claims. (Cl. 174-84) My invention relates to wire splicing deviceswith particular reference to one which is adapted for connecting theends of insulated wires, one of the primary objects of the inventionbeing to eiIect connection of wire ends without necessitating theremoval of their insulation covering.

The device is .particularly adapted for use where a temporary connectionof Wires is to be made as for instance, when it is desired to lengthenthe power cord of a radio set or fixture, the splicing or connectionbeing effected without requiring any tools and in a very short time, noskill on the part of the operator being required.

The vinvention also contemplates a device for the purpose stated, whichis Very simple in construction, strong and durable, inexpensive tomanufacture and entirely safe and very efllcient in practical use.

The invention resides in certain novel features of construction,combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described andclaimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing whichillustrates the now preferred form.

It is to be understood, however, that the disclosure is to taken merelyas illustrative, it being obvious that various changes and modificationsmay be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

In the drawings, wherein the same reference characters have been used todesignate the same parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of a wire splicer orconnector embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view through one of end and communicatingwith an outwardly iiared cam providing portion 8. This flared cam providing portion l of the bore 1 terminates short of the enlarged threadedinner end 9 of said bore.

By preference the bore 9 of the left hand sleeve I, as viewed in Fig. 1,will have left hand threads, while the threaded bore portion 9 of theright hand sleeve will have right hand threads. The inner ends of thesleeves 6 are threaded onto an exteriorly threaded cylindrical connectorI having left hand threads IIla leading from oneend and right handthreads Ib leading from the other end. there being a thread stop orshoulder Ic to separate the threads IIia, IIIb.

'I'he sleeve connector I0 will, of course, be of insulating material andhas the central lineally the end sleeves showing the `opposed openedjaws Y having the insulation piercing pins and apertured guard plates:

Fig. 3 is a lineal sectional view through one of the `iaws andassociated guard plate in pinshielding position;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the guard plateilattened out and the jaw pins projected through the apertures thereofto piercethe insulation covering of a wire; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view, partly in section, of one of the wire guiding andpin guarding plates.

Referring specifically to the drawings. nu- :neral 8 designates a pairof duplicate sleeves of insulating material, a phenol condensationproduct. for instance one commercially known as Bakelite beingespecially suitable.

Each sleeve I has a medial lineally extending wire end receiving boreopening from its outer extending bore II receiving in the presentinstance, a pair of stii spring metal conductor strips I2 having theirouter ends extending beyond the outer ends of the bore AII and bentlaterally in opposite directions as indicated at I2a. To the outer endof each of the spring metal conductor strip portions Ila is welded orotherwise secured a transversely arcuate jaw plate I3 of #spring metal.

As illustrated, the two jaw plates I3 within each sleeve 6 are arrangedin opposition to one another and have the sharp pointed inwardlyextending insulation piercing pins I4.

In order to admit of insertion of the wire ends between the jaw platesI3 without snagging on the pins I4, I provide guide plates I5 which aresecuredto the jaw plates at their outer ends only, and overlie thepoints of -the pins I'4` The wire guiding plates I5 are preferably ofvery light spring metal and they are arcuate in cross secvarranged inopposition to the pins I4 so as to allow the pins to project through theinsulation covering oi the wire when the opposed jaw plates are drawntogether.

It will be apparent that when the insulated ends of wires I1 have beeninserted into the bores I and disposed between the guide plates I5,electrical connection of said ends can be eifected by simply screwing upthe sleeves 8 to cause the rounded ends of the jaw plates Il to ride upthe cam portions 8 of bores 1. This causes thepins I4 to be projectedthrough the holes Il oi' the guide plates I I, it being understood thatthe iree ends lia simply slide along the conductor strip portions Iza assaid plates yield under pressure. The responsive give to the pres- Fromthe foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawing, it willbe apparent' that a very simple and effective wire splicer has beenprovided. The metal conductor I2, while mentioned as being in separateparts may, of course, be made of one piece. With split ends I2a.

Many other modifications in' the structure illustrated will also suggestthemselves.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: A l

1. An electrical wire splicer comprising in combination a pair of sleevemembers, each of said members having a lineally extending wireendreceiving bore opening from its outer end, an enlarged threadedconnector receiving bore opening from its inner end and a aredcam-providing bore portion connecting said aforementioned bores, theentire length of the thus provided opening through each sleeve being atleast insulation-surfaced, an exteriorly threaded lconnector having itsends operatively engaged in the respective threaded bores of said sleevemembers, said connector having a conductor receiving 'passage extendingtherethrough and communicating with said enlarged threaded sleeve bores,electrical conductor means extending through said connector passage,opposed oppositely directed spring material arms at each end of saidconductor means, a pair of opposed wire terminal-engageable jaws in thethreaded bore portion of each sleeve and carried by the respectiveadjacent spring material conductor-carried arms, the outer ends of thejaws normally bearing against the sleeve bore inwardly of the outwardlyared cam portion thereof, and insulation piercing means projectinginwardly from each of said jaws.

2. An electrical wire splicer comprising in combination a pair of sleevemembers, each of said members having a lineally extending wireendreceiving bore opening from its outer end, an enlarged threadedconnector receiving bore opening from its inner end and a flaredcam-providing bore portion connecting said aforementioned bores, theentire length of' the thus provided opening through each sleeve being atleast insulationsurfaced, an exteriorly threaded connector having itsends operatively engaged in the respective threaded bores of said sleevemembers, said connector having a conductor receiving passage extendingtherethrough and commiiunicating with saidv enlarged threaded sleevebores, electrical conductor means extending through said connectorpassage, opposed oppositely directed spring material arms at each end ofsaid conductor means, a pair of opposed wire terminal-engageable jaws inthe threaded bore portion of each sleeve and carried by the respectiveadjacent spring material lconductor-'carried arms, the outer ends of thejaws normally bearing against the sleeve bore inwardly of the outwardlyflared cam portion thereof, insulation piercing means projectinginwardly from each of said jaws, a

wire end-guiding shield overlying the insulationf piercing means o feach jaw and having an aperture opposite each of said piercing means,and a spring like connection between each of said shields and itsassociated jaw at the outer end only of Same.

WILLIAM H. ALFORD.

REFERENCES CITED lThe following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,171,710 Freixas Feb. 15, 19161,520,503 Mills Dec. 23, 1924 1,650,779 Williams Nov. 29, 1927 1,847,972Morris Mar. 1, 1932 2,103,891 Brown Dec. 28, 1937 2,245,194 HollanderJune 10, 1941 2,339,488 Kratoville Jan. 18, 1944 2,359,541 Bancroft Oct.3, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 352,993 Germany Apr. 19,1921 28,102 Great Britain Apr. 1, 1909 toA

